News

Members of the St. Joseph County Road Commission Board on Wednesday reacted to complaints registered by a Florence Township official the night before. Township supervisor Gordon Evilsizor addressed the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, continuing his campaign in support of a plan to improve Constantine Road. Evilsizor simultaneously criticized the board of commissioners for not developing a …

A 28-year-old Sturgis man was cited for driving too fast for conditions after his sport-utility vehicle crashed into the back of a car during a rainstorm Wednesday in White Pigeon Township. State police said 21-year-old Christopher Sawyer of Three Rivers slowed his vehicle around 8 p.m. for a car turning left from U.S. 12 onto Oak Road. An SUV driven …

A 25-year-old southwestern Michigan mother has been charged with murder, child abuse and torture in the slaying of her daughter on the girl’s fourth birthday. WOOD-TV reports that Daveeta Lee Walker is expected to be arraigned Thursday. Officers responding March 26 to a 911 call at a Kalamazoo apartment found Kharisma Richardson unresponsive and not breathing. An autopsy showed she …

Glen Oaks Community College President David Devier was the recipient of high marks from the school’s board of trustees during his evaluation this week. The board evaluation included 48 questions covering six functional areas of performance. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being “significantly exceeds expectations,” Devier’s overall rating was 4.39, representing an increase over his 2015 …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Rick Shaffer this week presented a gift to his peer, commissioner John Dobberteen, in recognition of Dobberteen’s years of service. Shaffer said he is finding himself in a reflective mood as his tenure as a commissioner comes to a close at the end of the year. On that note, he said Dobberteen has been an 18-year …

Flowerfield Township has agreed to retain the services of Three Rivers Fire and Marcellus fire departments for its ambulance service. A split vote on the matter occurred during a special meeting Tuesday. Township supervisor Carroll Parmeter suggested switching the service to Pride Care based on what he said amounted to a one-year cost increase of more than 2,000 percent proposed …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Don Eaton had sharp words for a Florence Township official who complained Tuesday about the state of Constantine Road. Gordon Evilsizor, who has regularly chastised commissioners for their lack of supporting a plan to fix the balance of Constantine Road through Florence Township, repeated his concerns during the citizen-comment portion of the agenda. Eaton said it …

A man accused of plowing his pickup truck into a group of Michigan bicyclists, killing five, was under the influence of drugs, a prosecutor said Wednesday as he added new charges. Charles Pickett Jr. was already facing second-degree murder charges in the June 7 crash. The additional charges, driving while intoxicated causing death, are significant because they give a glimpse …

A White Pigeon couple was injured after the boat on which they were riding over the weekend in Berrien County exploded. According to MLive Media Group, 63-year-old Kenneth Warren and Barbara Warren, 61, were aboard a 26-foot boat at Eagle Pointe Harbor Marina near the mouth of the St. Joseph River when the engine exploded around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Kenneth …

Officials from Indiana Michigan Power wish to advise that the company is conducting inspections of overhead and ground-level equipment in areas throughout its service territory in Michigan to help ensure the reliability and safety of equipment. I&M has contracted with Osmose Utility Services to visually examine wires and other overhead equipment. Osmose employees will also inspect ground-level equipment located in …